U.S. patent number 11,168,819 [Application Number 16/466,540] was granted by the patent office on 2021-11-09 for device for coupling a fluid pipe and a male coupling, and assembly comprising such a device and said associated male coupling.
This patent grant is currently assigned to TRISTONE FLOWTECH SOLUTIONS (TFS). The grantee listed for this patent is TRISTONE FLOWTECH SOLUTIONS (TFS). Invention is credited to Ghislain Gaudiau, Francois Le Briquer.
United States Patent |
11,168,819 |
Gaudiau , et al. |
November 9, 2021 |
Device for coupling a fluid pipe and a male coupling, and assembly
comprising such a device and said associated male coupling
Abstract
A coupling device is provided having a female coupling
engageable with a male coupling and a ring interposable between the
couplings and provided with retaining means. A gasket is housed in
the female coupling and held in position by the ring. The retaining
means axially holds the ring to the female coupling and has two
windows spaced apart in the circumferential direction over the body
of the ring. The complementary retaining means of the female
coupling has two lugs projecting from the tubular body constituting
the female coupling. Each window houses an elastically deformable
tongue having its free end co-operating with a longitudinal edge of
the window to provide a housing within which one of the lugs
becomes inserted in the engaged state of the female coupling and of
the ring, and the retaining means holds the ring to the male
coupling having two through openings arranged in the body of the
ring and a locking member.
Inventors: |
Gaudiau; Ghislain (Ancenis,
FR), Le Briquer; Francois (Nantes, FR) |
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
TRISTONE FLOWTECH SOLUTIONS (TFS) |
Carquefou |
N/A |
FR |
|
|
Assignee: |
TRISTONE FLOWTECH SOLUTIONS
(TFS) (Carquefou, FR)
|
Family
ID: |
57861146 |
Appl.
No.: |
16/466,540 |
Filed: |
November 30, 2017 |
PCT
Filed: |
November 30, 2017 |
PCT No.: |
PCT/FR2017/053299 |
371(c)(1),(2),(4) Date: |
June 04, 2019 |
PCT
Pub. No.: |
WO2018/104616 |
PCT
Pub. Date: |
June 14, 2018 |
Prior Publication Data
|
|
|
|
Document
Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 20200072399 A1 |
Mar 5, 2020 |
|
Foreign Application Priority Data
|
|
|
|
|
Dec 7, 2016 [FR] |
|
|
16 62047 |
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F16L
37/144 (20130101); F16L 37/0885 (20190801) |
Current International
Class: |
F16L
37/088 (20060101); F16L 37/14 (20060101) |
Field of
Search: |
;285/91,81 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Dunwoody; Aaron M
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Ipsilon USA, LLP
Claims
The invention claimed is:
1. A device for coupling a fluid pipe to a male coupling provided
with at least one external peripheral groove, the device
comprising: a female coupling made in the form of a tubular part
suitable for engaging with said male coupling; a ring suitable for
interposing between said couplings prior to axially engaging said
couplings with each other, and at least one circular sealing gasket
received inside the female coupling and held axially in position by
means of the ring, said ring being suitable for being held
engageably assembled with the couplings by axial retaining means
suitable for co-operating with complementary retaining means
carried by said couplings in order to lock said engagement, the
axial retaining means for axially holding the ring to the female
coupling being made integrally with the ring; wherein at least a
portion of the axial retaining means of the ring for holding said
ring to the female coupling and the axial retaining means of the
ring for holding said ring to the male coupling are arranged in
axially offset manner along the body of the ring, in that the
retaining means of the ring for axially holding said ring it to the
female coupling comprise at least two windows spaced apart along a
circumferential direction over the body of the ring, in that a
complementary retaining means of the female coupling comprise at
least two lugs projecting radially outwards from the tubular body
constituting the female coupling, in that each window of the axial
retaining means of the ring for holding said ring to the female
coupling houses an elastically deformable tongue made integrally
with the ring and extending circumferentially inside the window
from one edge of the window, referred to as the first longitudinal
edge, towards an opposite longitudinal edge of the window, referred
to as the second longitudinal edge, a free end of the tongue
co-operating with the second longitudinal edge of the window to
provide a housing within which one of the lugs of the female
coupling is suitable for becoming inserted in the engaged state of
the female coupling and of the ring, and in that the retaining
means of the ring, suitable for holding the ring to the male
coupling, include at least one through openings arranged in the
body of the ring and a locking member configured, when positioned
on the ring, to project through the through opening(s) of the body
of the ring towards the inside of the body of the ring.
2. The device according to claim 1, of the type in which the
retaining means of the ring for holding said ring to the male
coupling comprise at least two through openings arranged in the
body of the ring; wherein the locking member is in the form of a
generally U-shaped staple placed astride the openings when in its
state positioned on the ring.
3. The device according to claim 1, of the type in which the
retaining means of the ring for holding said ring to the male
coupling comprise at least two through openings arranged in the
body of the ring in angularly offset manner; wherein the through
openings are spaced apart from each other by an outer peripheral
rail forming a guide path for the locking member, the rail being
made integrally with the ring.
4. The device according to claim 1; wherein, on a inside peripheral
surface, beside a face for inserting the female coupling into the
ring, the ring is provided with at least two notches, each notch
being arranged in axial alignment with one of the windows in the
ring and forming an axial guide path within which one of the lugs
of the female coupling is suitable for sliding while engaging the
female coupling in the ring until reaching a position in which the
lug is in bearing contact against the inside face of the tongue
located inside said window, the ring and the female coupling being
suitable, in said engaged position, for being turned relative to
each other to enable the lug to slide along the tongue towards the
free end of the tongue until the lug is inserted in the housing
provided between the second longitudinal edge of the window and the
free end of the tongue, this sliding of the lug along the tongue
tending to move the tongue away from a rest position in which said
tongue extends inside the window, said tongue, when the lug is in a
state inserted in the housing, being returned resiliently towards
the rest position preventing any exit of the lug from the
housing.
5. The device according to claim 1; wherein, the female coupling,
going from an end for connection to the ring towards an opposite
end, is provided with a succession of at least two internal
peripheral shoulders giving the female coupling a staircase-shaped
inside profile, the first peripheral shoulder forming a seat for
the sealing gasket, the second peripheral shoulder being suitable
for forming an axial abutment for the male coupling when said male
and female couplings are in the engaged state.
6. The device according to claim 1; wherein, level with the
associated tongue, each window of the ring presents a distance
between a transverse edges that is greater than the distance
between the transverse edges of the window level with the housing
suitable for receiving the lug.
7. The device according to claim 1; wherein, an inside peripheral
surface of said ring, beside the face for inserting the male
coupling into the ring, is provided with at least one angular
abutment made integrally with the ring, said angular abutment being
in the form of a male or respectively female member, suitable for
co-operating with a complementary female or respectively male
member carried by the male coupling to prevent any relative turning
between the ring and the male coupling in the engaged state.
8. The device according to claim 1; wherein, the female coupling,
on an external peripheral surface, beside an end opposite from an
end for coupling with the ring, is provided with serrations.
9. An assembly comprising a male coupling provided with at least
one external peripheral groove, and a device for coupling a fluid
pipe to said male coupling; wherein the device for quick coupling a
fluid pipe to said male coupling is a device in accordance with
claim 1.
Description
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a National Phase of PCT/FR2017/053299 filed on
Nov. 30, 2017, which claims the benefit of priority from French
Patent Application Nos. 16 62047, filed on Dec. 7, 2016, the
entirety of which are incorporated by reference.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for coupling a fluid pipe to a
male coupling, and to an assembly comprising such a device and said
associated male coupling.
The invention relates more particularly to a device for coupling a
fluid pipe, in particular for a motor vehicle, to a male coupling
provided with at least one external peripheral groove, the device
comprising a female coupling made in the form of a tubular part
suitable for engaging with said male coupling, a ring suitable for
interposing between said couplings prior to axially engaging said
couplings with each other, and at least one circular sealing gasket
received inside the female coupling and held axially in position by
means of the ring, said ring being suitable for being held and
engageably assembled with the couplings by axial retaining means
suitable for co-operating with complementary retaining means
carried by said couplings in order to lock said engagement, the
axial retaining means for axially holding the ring to the female
coupling being made integrally with the ring.
PRIOR ART
Such sealed coupling devices for fluid pipes are well known to
those skilled in this art. Nevertheless, solutions are being sought
nowadays for producing them at lower cost and without degrading the
effectiveness of the sealing and the modular nature of the
device.
OBJECT AND SUMMARY
An object of the invention is to propose a device of the
above-specified type and of a design that enables the female
coupling and the ring of the device to be made out of more rigid
material, so as to reduce material costs without harming the
effectiveness of the sealing or the modular nature of the
device.
For this purpose, the invention provides a device for coupling a
fluid pipe to a male coupling provided with at least one external
peripheral groove, the device comprising: a female coupling made in
the form of a tubular part suitable for engaging with said male
coupling; a ring suitable for interposing between said couplings
prior to axially engaging said couplings with each other, and at
least one circular sealing gasket received inside the female
coupling and held axially in position by means of the ring, said
ring being suitable for being held engageably assembled with the
couplings by axial retaining means suitable for co-operating with
complementary retaining means carried by said couplings in order to
lock said engagement, the axial retaining means for axially holding
the ring to the female coupling being made integrally with the
ring;
the device being characterized in that at least a portion of the
axial retaining means of the ring for holding it to the female
coupling and the axial retaining means of the ring for holding it
to the male coupling are arranged in axially offset manner along
the body of the ring, in that the retaining means of the ring for
axially holding it to the female coupling comprise at least two
windows spaced apart along the circumferential direction over the
body of the ring, in that the complementary retaining means of the
female coupling comprise at least two lugs projecting radially
outwards from the tubular body constituting the female coupling, in
that each window of the axial retaining means of the ring for
holding it to the female coupling houses an elastically deformable
tongue made integrally with the ring and extending
circumferentially inside the window from one edge of the window,
referred to as the first longitudinal edge, towards the opposite
longitudinal edge of the window, referred to as the second
longitudinal edge, the free end of the tongue co-operating with the
second longitudinal edge of the window to provide a housing within
which one of the lugs of the female coupling is suitable for
becoming inserted in the engaged state of the female coupling and
of the ring, and in that the retaining means of the ring suitable
for holding the ring to the male coupling include at least one, and
preferably at least two, through openings arranged in the body of
the ring and a locking member configured in its state positioned on
the ring to project through the through opening(s) of the body of
the ring towards the inside of the body of the ring.
Making the device in two portions in the form of a female coupling
and of a ring makes it possible, if necessary, to modify the female
coupling while conserving the ring. The presence of the ring and of
the female coupling enables the gasket to be sandwiched, ensuring
good sealing at reduced cost. The use of a locking member enables
the device to be used with a large number of types of male
coupling. Finally, locking the engagement of the ring and of the
female coupling by moving in translation and then turning gives
good strength to the engagement, while being suitable for being
performed with portions of the parts that are not very deformable,
thus allowing the ring and the female coupling to be made of a
material that is relatively rigid, thereby reducing the cost of the
material for the assembly.
In an embodiment of the invention, the locking member is in the
form of a generally U-shaped staple placed astride the openings
when in its state positioned on the ring. Such a locking member is
thus suitable for acting through the through openings in the body
of the ring to press against the male coupling and, preferably, to
become inserted in the external peripheral groove of the male
coupling. By designing the locking in this way, it becomes possible
to make the ring out of a material that is relatively rigid.
In the embodiment in which the retaining means of the ring for
holding it to the male coupling comprise at least two through
openings arranged in the body of the ring in angularly offset
manner, the through openings are preferably spaced apart from each
other by an outer peripheral rail forming a guide path for the
locking member, the rail being made integrally with the ring.
In an embodiment of the invention, on its inside peripheral
surface, beside its face for inserting the female coupling into the
ring, the ring is provided with at least two notches, each notch
being arranged in axial alignment with one of the windows in the
ring and forming an axial guide path within which one of the lugs
of the female coupling is suitable for sliding while engaging the
female coupling in the ring until reaching a position in which the
lug is in bearing contact against the inside face of the tongue
located inside said window, the ring and the female coupling being
suitable, in said engaged position, for being turned relative to
each other to enable the lug to slide along the tongue towards the
free end of the tongue until the lug is inserted in the housing
provided between the second longitudinal edge of the window and the
free end of the tongue, this sliding of the lug along the tongue
tending to move the tongue away from its rest position in which
said tongue extends inside the window, said tongue, when the lug is
in its state inserted in its housing, being returned resiliently
towards its rest position in which it prevents any exit of the lug
from its housing.
By means of this locking, which acts by axial relative movement,
followed by turning movement of the ring and of the female
coupling, it becomes possible for the locking to be mechanically
strong, while needing little elastic deformation of the ring
portions that are stressed.
In an embodiment of the invention, going from its end for
connection to the ring towards its opposite end, the female
coupling is provided with a succession of at least two internal
peripheral shoulders giving the female coupling a staircase-shaped
inside profile, the first peripheral shoulder forming a seat for
the sealing gasket, the second peripheral shoulder being suitable
for forming an axial abutment for the male coupling when said male
and female couplings are in the engaged state.
In spite of the gasket being mounted in extremely simple manner,
the resulting sealing is sealing of high quality.
In an embodiment of the invention, level with the associated
tongue, each window of the ring presents a distance between its
transverse edges that is greater than the distance between the
transverse edges of the window level with the housing suitable for
receiving the lug. In parallel with the tongue being free to move,
this results in the lug being wedged axially, since the distance
between the transverse edges of the window level with the housing
that is suitable for receiving the lug matches the dimensions of
said lug.
In an embodiment of the invention, on its inside peripheral
surface, beside the face for inserting the male coupling into the
ring, the ring is provided with at least one angular abutment made
integrally with the ring, said angular abutment being in the form
of a male or respectively female member, suitable for co-operating
with a complementary female or respectively male member carried by
the male coupling to prevent any relative turning between the ring
and the male coupling in the engaged state.
In an embodiment of the invention, on its external peripheral
surface beside its end opposite from its end for coupling with the
ring, the female coupling is provided with serrations. Such
serrations enable the female coupling to be fastened with any pipe,
merely by engagement.
The invention also provides an assembly comprising a male coupling
provided with at least one external peripheral groove, and a device
for coupling a fluid pipe to said male coupling, the assembly being
characterized in that the device for quick coupling a fluid pipe to
said male coupling is of the above-specified type.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES
The invention can be well understood on reading the following
description of embodiments, given with reference to the
accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of a device in accordance with the
invention with its constituent elements in an exploded
position;
FIG. 2 shows, in perspective and in a non-assembled position, an
assembly in accordance with the invention comprising a device in
accordance with the invention and a male coupling;
FIG. 3 shows, in perspective and in a non-assembled position, a
female coupling and a ring seen from beside the face of the ring
for engaging the female coupling;
FIG. 4 shows a section view of said assembly with its elements in
the assembled state;
FIG. 5 shows a side view of the device; and
FIGS. 6 to 8 show, in the form of cross section views, the various
stages of locking together the ring and the female coupling.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As mentioned above, the device 1 of the invention is intended more
particularly for enabling so-called "quick" coupling of a fluid
pipe (not shown) with a male coupling 30 in order to form an
assembly, likewise in accordance with the invention.
The device 1 comprises a female coupling 2 in the form of a tubular
body, i.e. an elongate hollow body, that is open at each of its
ends. The female coupling 2 is suitable for engageably receiving
the male coupling 30.
The device also comprises a ring 3 that is interposed between the
female and male couplings 2 and 30 prior to engageably assembling
said couplings 2 and 30 together. The ring 3 has axial retaining
means 4 suitable for co-operating with complementary retaining
means 6 carried by the female coupling 2 in order to hold it in the
engageably assembled state with the female coupling 2. The ring 3
is also suitable for being held engageably assembled with the male
coupling 30 by using axial retaining means 5 suitable for
co-operating with complementary retaining means 31 carried by the
male coupling 30 and implemented in this example in the form of an
external peripheral groove in the male coupling 30.
In the examples shown, the axial retaining means 4 for holding the
ring 3 to the female coupling 2 are made integrally with the ring 3
and comprise at least two, and specifically in this example four,
windows 8 that are angularly offset around the body of the ring 3.
Each of these four windows 8 is spaced apart in the circumferential
direction from an adjacent window 8 by an angle close to
90.degree..
The complementary retaining means 6 of the female coupling 2
comprise at least two lugs 9, specifically four lugs in this
example, projecting radially outwards from the tubular body of the
female coupling 2. These lugs 9 are angularly offset, and each of
them is spaced apart in the circumferential direction from an
adjacent lug 9 by an angle close to 90.degree..
Each window 8 in the ring 3 houses an elastically deformable tongue
10 made integrally with the ring 3 and extending circumferentially
inside the window from an edge of the window 8, referred to as its
first longitudinal edge 11, going towards the opposite longitudinal
edge of the window 8, referred to as its second longitudinal edge
12. The longitudinal edges of the window 8 thus extend parallel to
the longitudinal axis of the ring 3, and the longitudinal axis of
the tongue 10 extends transversely relative to the longitudinal
axis of the ring 3, and preferably perpendicularly relative
thereto.
The free end 13 of the tongue 10 co-operates with the second
longitudinal edge 12 of the window 8 to provide a housing 27 into
which one of the lugs 9 of the female coupling 2 is suitable for
becoming inserted when the female coupling 2 and the ring 3 are in
the engaged state.
In order to facilitate inserting each lug 9 into its housing 27,
the ring is provided on its inside peripheral surface beside the
face 17 for inserting the female coupling 2 into the ring 3 with at
least two grooves or notches 18. Specifically, in this example,
four notches 18 are shown. Each notch 18 is associated with a
respective window 8.
Each notch 18 is arranged in axial alignment with one of the
windows 8 of the ring, and it forms an axial guide path within
which one of the lugs 9 of the female coupling is suitable for
sliding while engaging the female coupling 2 in the ring 3, until
reaching a position in which the lug 9 is in bearing contact
against the inside face of the tongue 10 arranged inside of the
window 8, i.e. its face facing towards the inside of the ring. This
position of the lug in bearing contact against the tongue 10 is
shown in detail in FIG. 6.
In this engagement position, the ring 3 and the female coupling 2
are suitable for being turned in relative rotation to enable the
lug 9 to slide along the tongue 10 towards the free end 13 of the
tongue 10 until the lug 9 becomes inserted in the housing 27
provided between the second longitudinal edge of the window 8 and
the free end 13 of the tongue 10.
This sliding of the lug 9 along the tongue 10 tends to move the
tongue 10 away from its rest position in which the tongue 10
extends inside the window 8. Specifically, the tongue 10 extends in
the circumferential direction of the ring 3 from its end connected
to the first longitudinal edge of the window 8 towards the free end
of the tongue, while tending to come closer to the center of the
ring. When the lug 9 is in its state inserted in its housing 27,
the tongue 10 is urged resiliently towards the rest position in
which it prevents any exit of the lug 9 from its housing 27.
Specifically, when the lug 9 is in its inserted state in its
housing 27, the tongue 10 is free from any stress from the lug 9,
and can thus be returned into the rest position by its own
resilient force.
Once more, this deformation of the tongue 10 under the action of
the lug 9 until the lug 9 becomes locked by the tongue 10 is shown
in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8.
Disassembly for the purpose of separating the ring 3 and the female
coupling 2 becomes extremely difficult.
In order to avoid any axial clearance between the ring 3 and the
female coupling 2, without interfering with the ability of the
tongue to deform, each window 8 of the ring 3 presents, level with
the associated tongue 10, a distance between its transverse edges
23 and 24 that is greater than the distance between the transverse
edges 23 and 24 of the window 8 level with the housing 27 suitable
for receiving the lug 9.
The distance between the transverse edges 23 and 24 of the window 8
level with the housing 27 suitable for receiving the lug 9 is
matched to the length of the lug 9 as measured along the
longitudinal axis of the ring.
Finally, on its external peripheral surface beside its end opposite
from its end 19 for coupling with the ring 3, the female coupling 2
is provided with serrations 26, in this example of the Christmas
tree type. The serrations 26 enable the female coupling 2 to be
coupled by engagement with any pipe.
The retaining means 5 for holding the ring 3 to the male coupling
30 comprise at least one through opening, and in this example two
through openings, provided in the body of the ring 3 together with
a locking member 15 suitable for acting through the through
openings 14 in the body of the ring 30 so as to bear against the
male coupling 30 and become inserted in the external peripheral
groove 31 of the male coupling 30.
The through openings 14 are arranged in diametrically opposite
manner in the body of the ring 3.
The locking member 15 is in the form of a generally U-shaped staple
that is placed astride the openings 14 in the ring 3 when in
position on the ring 3, so as to project through the through
openings 14 towards the inside of the body of the ring 3 and thus
act through the through openings 14 in the body of the ring 3 so as
to bear against the male coupling 30 and become inserted in the
external peripheral groove 31 of the male coupling 30.
In order to assist in holding the locking member 15 in position on
the ring 3, the through openings 14 are spaced apart from each
other by an outer peripheral rail 16 forming a guide path for the
locking member 15. The rail 16 is made integrally with the ring 3.
In this example, the rail comprises two parallel ribs, each
extending a longitudinal edge of the opening, the longitudinal edge
of the opening extending in the circumferential direction of the
ring.
In order to facilitate engageably assembling the male coupling 30
with the ring 3 and prevent any subsequent relative turning between
the ring 3 and the male coupling 30 in the engaged state, the
inside peripheral surface of the ring 3 beside the face for
inserting the male coupling 30 into the ring 3 is provided with at
least one angular abutment 25, and specifically in this example
with two angular abutments 25, each of which is made integrally
with the ring 3.
In this example, the angular abutments 25 are arranged in
diametrically opposite manner on the inner peripheral surface of
the ring, and each of them is in the form of an axial groove
opening out into the face of the ring used for inserting the male
coupling 30 into the ring.
Each groove is suitable for co-operating with an axial spline 32
formed on the outer peripheral surface of the male coupling 30, the
axial spline 32 extending on each occasion between the end of the
male coupling 30 opposite from its end connecting with the ring 3
and the external circumferential groove 31 of the male coupling 30
serving to receive the locking member 15.
Likewise, the through openings 14 of the ring 3 serving to receive
the locking member 15 are axially offset from the windows 8 in the
ring 3, and they are located between the windows 8 and the face of
the ring 3 used for inserting the male coupling 30.
The ring 3 and the male coupling 30 are thus assembled together as
follows: the male coupling 30 and the ring 3 are moved towards each
other by engaging the male coupling 30 in the ring 3. This approach
takes place in such a manner that the spline 32 of the male
coupling 30 is in alignment with the groove 25 of the ring 3. Once
the ring 3 and the coupling 30 are mutually engaged, the locking
member 15 is placed astride the ring 3 level with the through
openings 14 in the ring 3, and the branches of the U-shape of the
locking member 15 become received through the through openings 14
in the external circumferential groove 31 of the male coupling
30.
In order to make such an assembly leaktight, a circular sealing
ring 7, specifically in this example an O-ring, is received inside
the female coupling 2 and is held axially in position by means of
the ring 3 when the ring 3 and the female coupling 2 are in the
engaged state.
For this purpose, going from its end 19 for coupling with the ring
3 towards its opposite end 20 for fastening to a pipe, the female
coupling 2 is provided with at least two internal peripheral
shoulders 21 and 22, giving the female coupling 2 a
staircase-shaped inside profile. The first peripheral shoulder 21
forms a seat for the sealing gasket 7. The second peripheral
shoulder 22 is suitable for forming an axial abutment for the male
coupling 30 when said male and female couplings 30 and 2 are in the
engaged state.
The sealing gasket 7 is thus sandwiched between the inner
peripheral shoulder 21 of the female coupling 2 and a facing
annular circular internal peripheral surface of the ring 3.
In practice, the sealing gasket 17 is generally put into place in
the female coupling 2, and then the ring 3 and the female coupling
2 are pre-assembled prior to being assembled with the male coupling
30.
* * * * *